This publication addresses the issues and practical approaches needed to lay the foundation upon which science educators can work together to build effective science programs. It shares the ideas, insights, and experiences of individuals ranging from science supervisors to university personnel to agencies representing science education. Numerous…

A qualitative ethnographic study examined three early childhood teachers' awareness, acceptance, and implementation of emergent literacy theory. The three teachers, from three different schools in two neighboring mid-Atlantic states, were chosen for their contrasting teaching styles. Each classroom was observed by a non-participant observer for…

Effective school restructuring requires teacher motivation and action to transform knowledge about change into reality. This paper defines and describes what is meant by "professional learning community"; describes what happens when a school staff studies, works, plans, and takes action collectively on behalf of increased learning for…

In January of 1996, North Central College (Naperville, Illinois) turned on its campus-wide, PC-based network. A Technology Training Group (TTG) was created; this group focused on technology training for new staff hires, while also considering the ongoing needs of the current employees. Goals of the TTG included bringing new employees quickly up to…

During the 1996 Teacher Enhancement Institute (TEI) on the campus of Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, a very diverse group of teachers actively pursued instructional improvement through workshops in thinking skills, content area, and group seminars for a period of 4 weeks. This report contains evidence of improved teaching skills in…

An integrated system is needed to measure multiple attributes of effective teaching. The use of portfolios holds particular promise for this type of assessment. This paper describes how portfolios can be used in the evaluation of student teaching by evaluating management, creativity, organization, and effectiveness. Learning to teach is a…

This packet contains seven short guides for activities that help work force development professionals develop their professionalism and establish ties with their peers. The guides cover the following topics: (1) building local peer networks; (2) meeting with other work force development professionals; (3) planning a roundtable; (4) sponsoring…

This paper outlines efforts at Miami University (Middletown, Ohio) to bridge the "generation gap" between students who are comfortable using computer technologies and the faculty and staff who are reluctant to use them. Two Instructional Technology Fairs were held on campus (in Springs 1995 and 1996) to show faculty, staff, students, and…

This paper states and discusses general guidelines in teaching for conceptual change. Several important factors that seem to be necessary in meeting the guidelines in normal classrooms are considered. The factors relate to the teacher, student, and the classroom climate. The guidelines are illustrated using examples drawn from a fifth-grade…

The time has come to shift the focus from the "what" of knowledge (content) to the "how" of learning (processes). This book is the third in a series of three books in the Process as Content trilogy. The book offers suggestions and strategies for educators beginning the journey of transferring education into a process-oriented paradigm. The book…

This final report describes the implementation and outcomes of a project designed to assist Wisconsin in meeting its need for qualified and appropriately trained personnel to carry out their new roles as service coordinators in the provision of early intervention services. The project's activities included: (1) development of a set of training…

The role that individual learning proficiency, individual personality characteristics, and chance occurrences in the learner's environment play in self-directed professional development was examined through semistructured interviews with a purposeful sample of eight professional men and women of high achievement with no postsecondary schooling in…

Teachers must have accurate, up-to-date knowledge about biodiversity in order to help prepare world citizens to cope with the problems of decreasing variability on our planet. The objectives of this study were to: (1) develop a reliable, valid test of teacher knowledge about biodiversity; (2) administer this test to K-12 teachers to determine…

This paper takes a close look at a large county public school in northern Nevada and its implementation of a newly adopted standards-based elementary science program. The study investigates the opinions of elementary classroom teachers about the new hands-on activity-based science program for kindergarten through grade six. The results indicate…

This curriculum guide provides teachers with materials on Asian-American history and culture that include some of the most recent scholarship in the field. Although it is not a comprehensive treatment of history and culture, it examines many important topics and events. The guide is organized by theme. The themes, each of which is introduced by…